Sensory Aspects of Retailing: Theoretical and Practical Implications

Sensory elements are an important aspect of both offline and online retail stores and can non-consciously influence consumer judgments and purchase behavior. In offline settings, ambient factors like scent, lighting, and music have been shown to influence customers’ shopping experiences and their buying behaviors. For online retail outlets, sensory factors related to color, display patterns, and layouts can have significant effects on consumer behavior. Sensory elements have strong managerial relevance since they can non-consciously influence behaviors and because they are relatively easy to change; for example, it requires minimal effort to change the lighting or the music at a physical retail store or the display pattern for an online store. The eight papers in this special issue address theoretical and practical issues related to how different sensory elements can strongly influence retail practices. These papers focus on underexplored topic areas and also on emerging technologies, which stimulate thoughts for further research in these areas.     

Some issues in blockchain for accounting and the supply chain,with an application of distributed databases to virtual organizations

This paper reviews some recent blockchain‐based applications for information capture, distribution and preservation. As part of that review, this paper examines two key concerns with current blockchain designs for accounting and supply chain transactions: data independence and multiple semantic models for the same information distribution problem. Blockchain applications typically integrate database, application and presentation tiers all in the same ledger. This results in a general inability to query information in the ledger and other concerns. Further, since most applications appear to be private blockchain applications, there is a concern of agents needing to accommodate multiple blockchains depending on who their trading partners are and what they request. Finally, this paper uses a distributed database to design a ‘blockchain‐like’ system for virtual organizations.     

如何抓住国企改制的关键——一个国企改制失败引发的思考

动态联盟 (VirtualEnterpriseAlliance,VEA是 2 1世纪信息社会生产的主流组织形式 ,选择和确定联盟伙伴是建立动态联盟的关键环节之一。盟员的正确选择对提高联盟企业的总体竞争力有着极其重要的作用。本文在构建动态联盟盟员的实施评价体系基础上 ,提出一个修正的AHP算法 ,     

工程项目管理虚拟组织的构建及运行

建筑工程项目管理是一项复杂的系统工程，面对知识经济的挑战，针对当前的建筑工程项目应如何进行科学管理问题，提出应利用虚拟组织的形式，借助网络平台在工程项目管理中引入知识管理，通过管理各方知识的交流、整合、优化、应用，实现建筑工程整体化，力争以最小的成本最佳的完成项目的建设目标。     

虚拟财务管理研究

为了适应全球经济一体化的新形势，使财务管理满足国际化的要求，文章提出了虚拟财务管理概念，阐述了虚拟财务管理的特点及其与传统财务管理的区别，论述了虚拟财务管理的基本内容，分析了实现虚拟财务管理存在的障碍和困难并提出了改进建议。     

保障措施争端中的焦点问题及其启示

WTO的《保障措施协定》提供了对成员方内部产业安全的保护手段,也因此引起了保障措施争端。保障措施争端中的焦点集中在事实性争议和程序性争议两方面,争议的两个方面都是值得我们注意的。     

论互联网互动增值业务中虚拟财产的法律保护

“虚拟财产”是互联网互动增值业务系统的重要部分。虚拟财产保护不足会妨碍互联网互动增值业务的发展。我国法律相关规定的空白和理论认识的不统一造成司法实践的混乱。这种状况破坏了法律体系的统一性和确定性，也不能有力保护“虚拟财产”。有必要加强“虚拟财产”法律问题的研究，推动有关法律文件的出台。     

基于适应性商务智能的虚拟企业合作伙伴选择模型

合作伙伴选择是虚拟企业运行中至关重要的问题。迅速而准确地找到合适的合作伙伴并实现协调运作，直接影响到虚拟企业合作绩效和整体目标的实现。文章将环境感知和适应性商务智能理论引入虚拟企业合作伙伴选择中，提出了基于适应性商务智能的虚拟企业合作伙伴选择模型，设计了模型的基本架构，分析了模型的构成模块，探讨了模型的应用机理。     

刍议虚拟财产的法律保护

随着网络,尤其是网络游戏的迅猛发展,虚拟财产的交易及其保护引发了是否要对其加以保护,如何进行保护,如何进行规范等一系列问题,在我国的司法实践中已经不得不开始面对这类纠纷的裁判,而在法律上有关虚拟财产的规则尚处于不确定的空白,给这类纠纷的解决带来了很大的障碍,基于此,进行虚拟财产特性、交易等等相关法律问题的研究,并在探讨其合法性的前提下,进一步论证虚拟财产的法律保护规则的建构具有十分重要的理论意义与现实意义。     

E-Consulting in Virtual Negotiations

In the e-world where many of us live and work, virtual work arrangements will become increasingly commonplace. This paper reports on an exploratory study into the way in which consultants can ply their trade virtually with clients whom they never meet. US-located e-consultants provided advice to Hong Kong-located web site developers on the interface and content aspects of a website that was being developed for an international audience. Extensive analyses of the communication between the consultants and developers is undertaken, in parallel with an analysis of survey data obtained from the two sets of stakeholders. Lessons are drawn for future research and practice.